Of Type Love Episode 4: Family Night
Read this chapter with English translations
We cut to Audrey’s house, where her parents are having lunch alone for the first time in years.
Audrey’s dad: Audrey走了以后，家里变得好空啊。
Audrey’s mom <worriedly>: 现在Audrey应该开始上CS课了，你觉得她跟得上吗？
Audrey’s dad is silent for a moment.
Audrey’s dad <calmly>: 珍珍，你别担心，有我呢。
Audrey’s mom <even more worriedly>: 可是我们不在她身边，她怎么行啊？
Audrey’s dad <firmly>: 她会学会的。
After she finishes eating, Audrey’s mom walks into Audrey’s now unoccupied room, which has been left relatively undisturbed ever since her departure. Her desk is still cluttered with pens and cut paper, her books still litter the floor, and her stuffed animals are still scattered around her bed.
Audrey’s mom <somewhat wistfully>: 这么大了，还有毛绒玩具。
Audrey’s mom remains silent for a moment, before she starts tidying up the stuffed animals. Somewhat coincidentally, she puts Mr. Puffles next to Jixi and Midnight.
___
We cut to 125 Diner at UAR, where Hare Family Night is in full swing for those who’ve showed up. The diner has been decorated for the occasion with lots of green and yellow streamers. A parent lifts their toddler up to get a strawberry cupcake from the dessert bar. A couple kisses in front of the salad bar.
Extra Parent 1: Mike, how’s school been so far?
Extra Relative 1: Yeah, Mike, how’s college been? You have to let us know!
Mike <groaning>: It’s been…alright, I guess.
Extra Relative 1: Tell us more!
Unrelated Friend 1 <in mock old voice>: You can’t take notes on your computer! You have to write on paper, or you’ll get distracted! Like ok, I guess for some people, that’s the case, but…
Unrelated Friend 2: Well, that’s just the way Irizawa does things. I mean, he’s like seventy or so, he’s probably not used to people taking notes online.
Unrelated Friend 1: Then why is he teaching a computer science course?
We then abruptly cut from the flourishing conversations to a completely silent Audrey, who is eating lunch alone.
Audrey <aside>: No, I’m not that bothered that I don’t have any family over during Family Night. But it’d be nice if someone, like, came to see me.
Audrey: Oh well.
Just then, Amelia sits down across from her.
Amelia: Hey, what’s up?
Audrey <surprised>: Oh…hey, Amelia. Nice to see you.
Amelia: Nice seeing you too. How’s Project 1 coming along?
Audrey <shocked>: Shit, I haven’t really looked at it that much.
We briefly cut to Audrey’s dorm room, where her computer has sat alone and ignored for about an hour.
Amelia <energetically>: I’ve got most of the methods down, but I’m still fine-tuning the clearRecords and calculateOvertime methods. For some reason, I just can’t pass the public tests.
Audrey <trying to change the topic>: Uh…wait, it’s Family Night, aren’t your parents visiting?
Amelia <sighs>: Oh…actually, they’re visiting my brother, so I’m here alone.
Audrey: You have a brother?
Amelia <sighs>: Yeah, Alex. He’s three years older than me, and he’s super annoying.
Audrey <curiously>: Does your brother also go here?
Amelia: Thankfully not, he goes to Sirdell College. It’s a few hours’ drive away from here.
Audrey: Wait, so your parents aren’t visiting you?
Amelia looks down, unsure how to respond to Audrey’s rather pointed question.
Amelia <quickly>: Um…I have to go now, I’ve got to get back to Project 1.
Audrey <realizing her mistake>: I-I’m sorry, I…
Amelia <slightly hesitant>: Oh…but I really have to get back to Project 1 now.
Amelia hurriedly exits.
Audrey <aside>: What was that all about? I didn’t think I said anything too offensive…
Audrey <aside>: But I do have to get started on that project, it seems.
Audrey exits.
We cut to Audrey’s dorm. Vanessa has just left to hang out with her friends, so Audrey has the entire space to herself.
Audrey <somewhat cheerfully>: Here we go!
Audrey begins reading the project instructions to herself.
Audrey <to herself>: You are designing the payroll system for a large company…there are three groups of employees your code must account for: accountants, salespeople, and interns, who are all paid differently. You must use inheritance…ugh.
Audrey stops reading the project instructions and starts typing.
Audrey <to herself>: So I’ll need an Employee superclass…and an Accountant class…and a Salesperson class…ugh…
Audrey keeps typing and complaining for the next few hours.
Audrey <to herself>: Why is there a limit to sick days? People should be allowed to get sick as often as they want.
Audrey <to herself>: Why can’t interns get free meals? Is this company in a recession?
Audrey <to herself>: At least they have an overtime limit.
Audrey sighs and keeps typing. There’s quite a few words underlined with red squiggles — denoting errors — but who cares just yet?
Audrey <to herself>: And why can’t the salesperson take more than 100 commissions per pay period? Is this company punishing them for doing their jobs? This is so stupid.
Audrey keeps coding and ranting about the project, until she suddenly gets a Discord notification from Amelia.
Amelia [text]: Audrey, do you want to join me for Hack Acacia River?
Audrey <to herself>: Right, Hack Acacia River. Kind of forgot about it.
___
The scene shifts to Audrey’s Intermediate Object Oriented Programming lecture a few days back, where Professor Irizawa is giving out some pre-class announcements.
Professor Irizawa: As many of you may know, our campus’s biannual hackathon, Hack Acacia River, is coming up. I encourage all of you to participate, as it’s an excellent opportunity to network, build your resumes, and work on your skills outside of class. In fact, I will be offering some extra credit to those who attend.
The class erupts into cheers and applause.
Professor Irizawa: Ah, you’re too kind. I do this every year. In any case, let’s get back to what we were discussing last time.
___
Audrey <aside>: Well, extra credit is extra credit.
Audrey [text]: Sure, I’ll definitely join your team!
Amelia [text]: That’s great. I’m so excited.
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